J Street absorbing Brit Tzedek chapters

J Street, a pro-Israel group founded 18 months ago, has been in merger negotiations with the older group for months.

Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, or the Alliance for Peace and Justice, was founded seven years ago to lend grass-roots support to dovish pro-Israel groups in Washington. It claims close to 50,000 members in 41 chapters in more than 30 states. It also has a rabbinical cabinet made up of more than 1,000 rabbis.

J Street is taking on an additional staffer, Laurie Moskowitz, to help coordinate its new grass-roots operation. Moskowitz, who will be a senior adviser, has helped lead grass-roots operations for the 2000 Al Gore presidential candidacy, the Reform movement and Democratic congressional races.

"We believe that by working with J Street, we can best amplify the power and voice of the grass roots," said Aliza Becker, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom’s acting executive director in a statement.